Home a museum to display travel trophies thanks to designer

In the bustling kitchen there is a detail that gives gravitas to any gathering; on a recent trip to Greece, the family brought back a bust of Socrates. It occupies a place of honor there.

The statue is one of many artifacts from a lifetime of world travel on display in the Burlington home of Natalie Batthish-Nardone and Rob Nardone, both dentists, and their daughters, Mya, 19, and Hannah, 18, both McMaster University students. and 6-year-old Frenchton Bailey.

On each adventure, from Japan to Morocco, Thailand to Tanzania, the family carefully chooses a work of art, book or other memento that reminds them of the special time they spent in each country.

“We want to remember our travels and have those memories and experiences with us every day,” said Batthish-Nardone.

There’s a collection of books from Paris in the powder room, African sculptures in the living room, a Buddha head from Thailand in the dining room… and several carefully selected curios throughout the house.

“We like to entertain a lot and they are great conversation starters. It’s very stimulating to be able to talk about other cultures, what we’ve learned and how it’s affected us,” Batthish-Nardone. “It’s nice to have it out and not tucked away in a photo album somewhere.”

The couple owned the 6,000 square feet. house built for them in 2000. Since then their family has evolved and they wanted to refresh the ground floor to reflect the way they live now. In 2021 they switched Eva Healy, owner and chief designer of avenue design to help. She envisioned a modern, curated museum design. She installed custom shelves for their keepsakes, applied artistic wallpaper and added pops of color to create a gallery in each room.

For a family that loves to host, the kitchen is critical. They wanted to keep the cabinets and appliances, but create more space and refresh the look. “We needed more storage space, more seating and places to display some of the cookware we brought with us from travels,” says Batthish-Nardone.

Healy married the old and the new. She extended the height of the cabinetry to the ceiling, added striking black shelving against a marble backsplash to create a beverage station and small bar with an under-counter refrigerator, and renovated the island to make it deeper, wider, and full of storage space.

A sitting area on a long window in the adjoining great room was renovated with upholstered cushions serving as seating and giving a gallery effect.

The great room itself retained the original layout and furnishings, but received a facelift with the addition of a new linear gas fireplace. This was of dramatic black stone, which winds all the way to the ceiling, 20 feet high. Healy designed custom millwork on either side to accommodate specific travel mementos, including sculptures and statues. Drawers below, in a warm wood tone, anchor the open shelves and provide storage space.

“We took special care in measuring every single plank to make sure all the pieces would fit right back where Natalie and Rob wanted them,” says Healy.

The huge chandelier above the seating area adds drama to complete the space. “We really wanted to accentuate the ceiling height by creating this floating circle moment, with soft, indirect lighting,” she said.

“When the sun goes down, there’s a soft glow that spreads all over the ground floor.”

The lamp is a talking point. Batthish-Nardone said: “Everyone who comes into our house stops to look at it. We appreciate the amount of light it gives, but also the art of it.”

Nearby, the dining room has its own unique design. To better showcase some of the travel memories, Healy removed the top half of their buffet and installed LED-lit shelves on a marble backdrop. She created original art by applying wallpaper to the ceiling and finishing it with a sculptural lamp.

“We thought we’d do something other than a typical accent wall,” said Healy.

Since the renovation was completed in January 2022, the family is enjoying their home more than ever.

“It reflects who we are now, as individuals and[as]a family, our personalities, our interests,” says Batthish-Nardone. “There is nostalgia, but also a modern feel, with a nice balance between old memories and new goals.

“There’s a real sense of common experience when we’re all together.”

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